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Beck 'Produces' A Genius Innovation That Appeals To The User-Generated Generation

There are times when I see an idea that is so good, so fresh, so amazing that I:

Become immediately proud to be human.

Stand up to let the energy of the idea fill my body.

Tell everyone I know about it.

Now is one of those times.

Beck (Beck Hansen) is famous for his underground, anti-folk, alternative, dreamy-yet-hook-driven music. His first biggie was “Loser” way back in 1994. But his ability to understand and reach his audience just went cosmic. He released a new album, but it’s not a record or a CD or a series of MP3 files. Something way better.

“In the wake of Modern Guilt and The Information, Beck’s latest album comes in an almost-forgotten form—twenty songs existing only as individual pieces of sheet music, never before released or recorded.”

Sheet music. Nothing but sheet music.

Think about the implications of that idea in this modern age of digital information, content creation, sharing, and social communities.

It’s More Than An Album. It’s An Invitation.

Beck fans the world over will be drawn to the “invitation” this sheet music presents. Go ahead, grab your guitar, find a friend who plays keys, get your brother to play drums, and then turn GarageBand on and record these Beck songs. And record them the way you want to record them. Be inspired by the imagery in the packaging, be inspired by the compositions, but generate your own takes. The idea of an unproduced album is beautiful for this reason alone, and is likely the primary driver. But I’m just getting started.

This Content Will Not Stand Still.

The music that Beck fans create will not rest on their hard drives gathering pixel dust. Because it’s Beck doing the inviting, the musicians who accept his invitation will be supremely motivated to share their interpretations of Beck’s twenty songs. We will see Facebook albums, YouTube videos, web sites Tweeted. Anyone who takes a stab at producing these songs will pick up where Beck left off and promote the album for free. These songs will be everywhere. Touring bands may find new life if they can bill their act as “THE” interpretation of Beck’s album. It’s endless.

This Content Will Be Hungrily Consumed.

There will be a steep “curiosity incline” inherent with the lack of musical production. People will want to hear this album. As such, there’s a ready-made audience waiting anxiously for anyone (anyone at all), to post MP3s of these songs. Once a fan finally hears the album for the first time, even if it’s by “Jimmy’s Eight-year-old Band,” then the fun will shift to hearing the many, many different interpretations of those songs. With no official recording from Beck, there will be no wrong answers. I am truly fascinated and giddy with anticipation to watch all of this unfold.

Here’s the most brilliant part of the idea, and the part that appeals to the marketer in me. You can’t just download this album, you have to buy it. It’s not digital, it’s paper. Beck has successfully found a loophole in our digital addictions. A loophole that will find musicians and non-musicians alike wanting to purchase such a novelty, either to play the music privately, publicly, or simply to follow along while listening to the world bring the music to life. Sure, someone will probably scan the sheet music into pdfs and send them around, but my gut tells me that, since Beck isn’t recording this music himself, the only way for Beck fans to truly experience Beck within this medium is to buy the full-color, beautifully designed package in a store.

Who Won’t Go To The Next Beck Concert?

The other brilliant thing this idea does for Beck, the musician, is create wild anticipation for his next concert. I’m assuming he’ll have one, and that he’ll actually perform some of these songs. If I were him, I’d wait at least a year, though. Let the fans cycle through the recording, the user-generating, the social sharing, the commentary, the everything, first. Let the anticipation build (for free, I might add). Then come out with the concert. Maybe even bring on stage some of Beck’s favorite online performers of his work to play their interpretations. Or play his favorite fan-generated YouTube clips during the concert with some Beck commentary to go with it. The possibilities are ruthlessly endless. But I know I would go to that show, and I’m not a huge Beck fan.

In fact, I hope this idea generates an entirely new medium for other artists to copy. I could see aging rock stars, who struggle to perform the way they did in the ’60s but are still great song writers, for instance, issuing this kind of sheet-music album to keep the flame alive. I could see music teachers in high schools and colleges using this medium as a teaching platform for students.

It’s a modern idea that appeals to the user-generated generation. It made me proud to be human, it made me stand right up, and it made me want to share it with you right now.

I can’t wait to hear someone – anyone – post their interpretations of this fantastic new Beck album.

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Clever, but far the hell from ‘genius’. People are way too damned easily impressed. The ‘g’ word is VASTLY overused. Personally, this makes me yawn more than anything. Beck, get your lazy ass in the studio and make your own album.